“Mom! There’s a friend of yours at the door. She says she came to surprise you.”
A friend of mine?
I frown slightly, setting the towel aside. I sigh under my breath and head toward the entryway, tightening my ponytail.
“Who is it, sweetheart?” I ask as I round the corner, bracing myself for yet another unwanted visit this week.
And then I stop.
For a second, my brain refuses to process what my eyes are seeing.
Alicia stands behind the couch, her posture hesitant, polite confusion written across her face. And in front of her, in the middle of my living room, stands the last person on earth I ever expected to see.
Maya. Colin’s mistress.
The name flashes through my mind, dragging with it memories I try every day to erase ever since I held the evidence in my hands.
For a moment, I can’t breathe. The air shifts around me, the room narrowing until all I can see is her standing there in a long-sleeved petrol blue dress, elegant and composed. The fabric skims her body, fitted enough to be intentional.
Her five-inch heels lock her posture into deliberate poise, as if she has a point to prove. Her hands are clasped in front of her, her purse resting on the coffee table, as if she has any right to be in this house.
I blink once, slowly, the sound of my pulse thundering in my ears.
“Alicia,” I say, steadying my voice. “Would you mind staying by the pool area until I call you? I promise it won’t take long.”
She looks at me, her brow creasing slightly.
“Is everything okay, Mom?” she asks, her eyes darting briefly to Maya, then back to me.
“Of course, honey.” I force a small smile. “We just need to talk in private for a few minutes. That’s all.”
“Okay…”
She hesitates, then does as I ask, pulling her jacket from the hook and heading toward the glass doors. I watch her until I hear the faint click of the latch, the backyard door closing behind her.
For a moment, I feel relieved that she didn’t recognize Maya, that I don’t have to explain this. Not yet. All I know is that whatever this woman came here to say, I don’t want Alicia anywhere near it.
I turn back to Maya and, without hesitation, say flatly, “I want you out of my house.”
She stiffens but doesn’t move.
“I’m not leaving until I’ve said what I came here to say.”
Our eyes meet, and I can’t stop the humorless laugh that slips out.
“Of course not. You really don’t have any sense of decency, do you?”
“You need to let Colin go,” she cuts in, her voice sharp with arrogance and condescension. “You’re not woman enough for him.”
My hands tighten at my sides, my nails biting into my palms. “Is that so?”
“We’re starting a new family,” she says, placing a hand over her stomach.
My gaze drops there before I can stop it. For a moment, my mind goes blank. There are no obvious signs of pregnancy. Her stomach is flat, giving nothing away, and I have no idea how far along she claims to be. I wonder if it’s really Colin’s child she’s carrying. If this will be just another one of his choices we’ll all be forced to learn how to live with.
I inhale slowly through my nose, steadying myself.
“I’d congratulate you,” I say, my voice cold, “but instead I’ll just say poor thing.”
